The DC Voter Online is published by League of Women Voters of the District of Columbia and includes links to news from the League of Women Voters of the National Capital Area, and the League of Women Voters of the United States.

On Sunday, at the 52nd National Convention, the League of Women Voters of the United States delegates from state and local chapters across the country voted overwhelmingly to strongly support statehood for the people of DC. This means the League is now positioned to work with over 800 state and local chapters to educate their communities about Statehood.

As we approached convention, we were not certain this resolution submitted by the DC League would pass. As we all know, the situation in the District of Columbia is misunderstood by most Americans. Our team was working up until the last minute finalizing the language of the resolution and shaping our argument. We had no idea how the delegates would feel about our request.

What we found was overwhelming support from across the country. Again and again, delegates approached us to ask, "What can we do to help?" They took the first step in a loud and clear voice by voting for the resolution.

The League of Women Voters is uniquely situated to work for DC Statehood. A leader in voting rights advocacy, the League is dedicated to ensuring that all eligible voters have the opportunity and the information to exercise their right to vote. And, as a grassroots organization with over 800 state and local chapters working in communities across the country, the League already has people on the ground ready to work for our cause.

The next steps are in the works, and we are excited about the potential of where this will take our cause. But today, we celebrate!

A huge thank you to our Committee for Full Rights for the People of the District of Columbia for their hard work on this effort: Anne Anderson, chair; Linda Beebe, ex officio; Elinor Hart; Rachel Hecht; Charlotte Houghton, intern; Joanna London; Judith Weisberg. Thanks also for their help to friends of the LWVDC, Sharon Hart and Glenda Richmond.

And, we could not have done this at all without the support of our members, who agreed to make DC Statehood a local priority in early 2015. Their belief in this cause and support of the effort made the work possible.